Melanie Maz unknowingly began her art career in the spring of 1996. Her first paintings were done on large pieces of brown packaging paper, which she taped to her dorm room walls for decoration, unaware they would have any future significance.

A self-taught artist from Southern California, Melanie painted in her youth but aspired to be a musician. She began studying and performing violin and piano at an early age and continued her studies at Goucher College. In 2000, Melanie moved to Boston, and began painting again. Friends suggested she exhibit her artwork in public, but it wasn't until the spring of 2002 that Melanie began building a portfolio and researching shows. She invested the money she had originally intended to use for music lessons into frames for her paintings and decided to make an attempt at being an artist for one month. Before the month was over, Melanie had sold her first painting and had several shows lined up. Her second show, at a Boston area restaurant, ended in the sale of four paintings, purchased by the restaurant's owner.

Since June 2002, Melanie has had exhibits throughout the greater Boston area. She has participated in Somerville Open Studios and the ArtsUnion Studio Tour in Somerville, and exhibited paintings in the Illuminations show at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. She's done shows at artist markets, local coffee shops and restaurants, and has been commissioned to do paintings and CD covers. Melanie has donated paintings to The Art Connection, a nonprofit organization that expands public access to visual art, and to non-profit organizations for benefit auctions and raffles.

Melanie's paintings are characterized by simple designs, bright, bold colors, and black outlines. They are inspired by music as well as her personal life. Although Melanie continues to work with acrylic (and oil) paint, she did switch from packaging paper and tape to canvas in 2004. Melanie believes the point of art is for it to move and be seen by as many people as possible, and thus, mostly shows her art in alternative spaces.